Some people won’t get back to you when you request an Informational Interview.While you might think it’s because they are not interested in talking with you, that assumption might not be accurate.

It could be that your request for an informational interview didn’t reach them. It may have landed in the person’s spam folder, or they may have received it but didn’t open it.

Perhaps they opened your request for an informational interview but got distracted and forgot completely.

Some very busy people won’t respond initially because they want to see if they hear from you a second time – which tells them that you’re very serious about talking with them.

At this point, you’ve put a lot of time and effort into finding the right people, getting their contact information, and crafting articulate and respectful requests for an informational interview. I recommend following up 7 to 10 days after making your first request, by sending a second email requesting an informational interview.

You can use the exact same text as you used in your first email, however, insert this language immediately after the opening paragraph that establishes your connection:“I reached out to you about a week ago and thought I would take a moment to follow up in case my first email didn’t reach you.”

Getting Live Leads From Dead Ends

While it is a personal choice, as long as the person you contacted has not requested that you don’t contact them again, I believe it is okay to reach out to the person a third time about 14 to 21 days after you sent your second request for an informational interview.

Keep this email short and use language that is positive and encouraging. Here’s a sample:

Hi [Name],

I know you’re busy, and I just want to stay on your radar until you have the time to respond to my request for an informational interview. I hope you’ll reach out to me when you have a chance!